When exposed to cyclic quasi-static loading, elastic bodies in contact may develop a favourable condition where slip ceases after a few cycles, an occurrence commonly known as frictional shakedown. If the amplitude of the cyclic load is greater than a so-called shakedown limit, shakedown cannot occur. In this review paper, the validity of shakedown theorems in the context of conforming contacts with a la Coulomb friction is first discussed. Then, an optimisation method for determining the shakedown limit of elastic discrete three-dimensional systems is reviewed. Finally, an incremental Gauss-Seidel algorithm, extended to three-dimensional systems, is here illustrated in details for the first time. The algorithm allows us to describe the transient response of normal-tangential coupled systems under a given cyclic loading scenario, and to determine their possible shakedown depending on the initial conditions. An example concerning a discrete conforming contact problem, where either coupling or uncoupling conditions can be imposed, is illustrated.