Civil Engineering Department/COPPE/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Ilha do Fund?o P.B.68506 21945-970 Rio de Janeiro RJ Brazil;
Petrobras/Cenpes Av.Horácio Macedo 950 Ilha do Fund?o 21941-915 Rio de Janeiro RJ Brazil;
Corresponding author Civil Engineering Department/COPPE/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Ilha do Fund?o P.B.68506 21945-970 Rio de Janeiro RJ Brazil webe@coc.ufrj.br;
Rate of convergence; nonlinear; automatic; load incrementation; limit load;