Due to its very low primary energy requirement and its complete recyclability, earth has an excellent ecological balance. In addition, earth building materials have a demonstrably positive influence on the indoor climate, as they are able to effectively buffer fluctuations in air humidity. The dimensioning of load-bearing earth masonry is currently (as of 2018) carried out in Germany on the basis of the earth building regulations. The verification procedure anchored there is based on a global safety concept that no longer corresponds to the state of the art in terms of reliability theory. As a result, this set of rules will be repealed by the German Institute for Building Technology in future. In addition, the earth building regulations severely restrict the scope of application of load-bearing earth masonry, which prevents its use in many areas. In order to enable a reliable practical application of earth masonry, this research project developed the basis for an updated design concept. Extensive experimental, numerical and probabilistic analyses were carried out for this purpose. The aim was to test whether the simplified calculation methods for unreinforced masonry according to DIN EN 1996-3/NA can be transferred to earth masonry construction. Furthermore, the influence of the ambient climate, in particular air humidity, on the load-bearing capacity of earth masonry was investigated in detail and taken into account within the design concept to be developed.