This Decision Matrix uses the rating of 1-5, 1 being the worst and 5 being the best rating for that
category. Since all three were stronger than required for the application, strength was not
considered a priority factor and was rated at 20%. This allowed for cost and corrosion resistance
to be considered as a factor of 40% each. Cost is important because there is a large difference in
cost between the three material types. Aluminum and stainless steel were rated lower than hot
rolled steel bolts for just that reason. For strength, the hot rolled steel was stronger than the
stainless and aluminum but not by much. I rated it one rating higher than the other two. For
corrosion resistance hot rolled steel was rated at worst and stainless and aluminum where rated
high due to their ability to resist corrosion.