READ THIS!!!!!!!!
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The Straits Times 6.6.2005 forum pages.
June 6, 2005
The Straits Times
IN THE 15 years I lived in my three-room HDB flat in Lorong Ah Soo, my family had to endure what sounded like marbles being dropped on the floor of the unit above mine. Strangely, this seemed to take place only at night, at times in the wee hours of the morning. Never one for confrontation, I did not speak to the occupants upstairs, and we lived with it.
We moved to Punggol 21 five years ago, and the sound of marbles dropping in the wee hours of the morning seems to have followed us. I once trotted upstairs to see what sort of neighbours I have and the occupants were an elderly woman, her weak elderly husband and their domestic help. It is unlikely they played with marbles, and certainly not in the wee hours of the morning.
From conversations with friends, I was astounded to learn that this sound of dropping marbles is a widespread phenomenon in Singapore. It seems it happens only in HDB flats. One of my friends even suggested it may be the way HDB flats are built.
As a non-believer in the supernatural, I am eager to understand this mystery that is fast becoming an urban legend. I may have a legitimate reason to ask the HDB to explain it, since it seems to inflict only flats built by it.
Joseph Wong Yong Lye -
why i hear thunder clappping when there is no rain?
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look at the lumber of threads we have on this topic
http://www.sgforums.com/?action=search&search_str=marbles -
Originally posted by FireIce:look at the lumber of threads we have on this topic
http://www.sgforums.com/?action=search&search_str=marbles
. then close this topic? -
At least someone is finally asking HDB for an "official" reason....
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I reopen the topic mah. FireIce must say thank you to me.
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wats really the cause of this "scenario"..other than the supernatural ?
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they sure wun say is ghostOriginally posted by CoolMyth:At least someone is finally asking HDB for an "official" reason....
sure will find some scientific explanation -
Hmmm....i'm really interested to hear HDB's reply.. Please update us by posting here!...Originally posted by Manager433:The Straits Times 6.6.2005 forum pages.
June 6, 2005
The Straits Times
IN THE 15 years I lived in my three-room HDB flat in Lorong Ah Soo, my family had to endure what sounded like marbles being dropped on the floor of the unit above mine. Strangely, this seemed to take place only at night, at times in the wee hours of the morning. Never one for confrontation, I did not speak to the occupants upstairs, and we lived with it.
We moved to Punggol 21 five years ago, and the sound of marbles dropping in the wee hours of the morning seems to have followed us. I once trotted upstairs to see what sort of neighbours I have and the occupants were an elderly woman, her weak elderly husband and their domestic help. It is unlikely they played with marbles, and certainly not in the wee hours of the morning.
From conversations with friends, I was astounded to learn that this sound of dropping marbles is a widespread phenomenon in Singapore. It seems it happens only in HDB flats. One of my friends even suggested it may be the way HDB flats are built.
As a non-believer in the supernatural, I am eager to understand this mystery that is fast becoming an urban legend. I may have a legitimate reason to ask the HDB to explain it, since it seems to inflict only flats built by it.
Joseph Wong Yong Lye
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u guys don't scare me can?
i also hear upstairs got marbles but from what i hear from my mother...the couple used to have a son and daughter and now the son is now 20-odd and has moved out while the daighter has died long ago........... -
How about those living on the highest floor? Do they too hear the sound above?
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hmm...interesting lengend in our country ...i got a "supernatural" explanation..tis strange marble dropping sound onli happens at older HDB flats...like those 10-20 years ago one...newer ones don have anything
explanation is tat once upon a time,tis lady always takes a walk at tis place where the foundation for our marble floor are extracted and used..i donno for wad reason but apparently one dae she commited suicide(perhaps over a failed relationship???
) and tat her restless soul is said to always "visit" the route she always uses to navigate her wae through the place...and tat's how u get the "marble dropping" sound... -
awaiting for ultranatural explanation
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huh??Originally posted by poon cho tang:awaiting for ultranatural explanation -
Well, I put "official" with inverted commas for a reason, right?Originally posted by FireIce:they sure wun say is ghost
sure will find some scientific explanation
I imagine the "official" reply to be something like the way the HDB flats are built, especially with materials deteriorating over time and also due to cooler temperatures at night. But I don't major in civil/material engin or material science, so please pardon me if it comes out wrongly. -
I stayed in a flat for at least 18years, and got my fair share of marble sounds too, but never think of such supernatural things.
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since everyone who heard it still one piece and mostly happen in old flats... regardless of location..then it shld be due to the long period of expansion and contraction of the building material...plus singapore suddenly hot then cold so fast...
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i also encounter this problem.
but i can confirm the sound come from Mahjong tile down. KNN feel like write a letter to warn my neightbour above
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Creepy.
I didn't remember hearing marbles sounds in my old flat, only the sound of moving furniture in the middle of the night of course. The creepy part was that there was no one living in the flat above us. -
u never go up and win all their money...Originally posted by kingofbeholder:i also encounter this problem.
but i can confirm the sound come from Mahjong tile down. KNN feel like write a letter to warn my neightbour above -
My "creepy" experience is that I can hear some person whistling outside very loudly around midnight time, even when I close my room door. That's how loud it is....
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this aplenty haha..,even heard about the door closing at nights-some really v.loud ...well, this have some variations- tot to b the "kids"Originally posted by kingofbeholder:i also encounter this problem.
but i can confirm the sound come from Mahjong tile down. KNN feel like write a letter to warn my neightbour above
playing or been attracted to the particular house as the front door closes ?no. of timess.. -
Hi,
This topic had been discussed sinceÂ…. God knows whenÂ… IÂ’m too lazy to read what was discussed before but IÂ’m going to tell you the cause of the marble dropping sound. For those who fancy a supernatural answer, sorry itÂ’s not.
Before I explain, did you realize this marble dropping sound happens only in highrise buildings? Did you also realize that the sound seem to come from the units above yours? Did you realize the sound is clearer at night although it also happens in the day? Did you realize it happens usually to old blocks and not new buildings? Did you realize that the marble dropping sound is always from a single marble and not multiple marbles dropping simultaneously? Did you realize that even though you are staying at the top floor of the block, you could also hear the marble sound coming from the rooftop? This is how it happens.
Our water tanks are all located at the top of buildings. The water pumps in the pump house (at the ground level) will pump water to the storage tanks at the top of the building. Pipelines are connected to distribute water to all the households of the block from top down. They flow through gravitational flow. The pipes are vertical except the branch lines. When someone turned on the tap at the lower level, the entire water in the pipeline above will flow downwards and because of the gravitation pull, there will be acceleration. Therefore, the longer the tap is turned on, the higher the acceleration.
When the tap is tuned off, there is a sudden stop to the flow of water in the pipeline. Due to the downward acceleration in the pipeline, there is a sudden pull within the pipeline at the top portion of the pipes. This will result in negative pressure (a surge) in the upper part of the pipeline. Knocking sounds are generated and could be heard from the pipelines. The technical term is called a water hammer. The knocking sounds come in a simple harmonic manner. An example of simple harmonic manner is the sound of a marble dropping from a certain height and bounce to a complete stop (simple harmonic). We all know sound travels further in solid than air. The sound therefore traveled through the pipes and concrete and is always coming from the upper units. That is why you keep hearing marble dropping sound. It really is the water pipes.
This is a technical problem. All the developer has to do is to install a surge valve at the outlets of all the water tanks and this will absorb the pulling effect within the pipelines when there is a surge. Thus no knocking sound will be generated. That is why new buildings today do not have this problem except old blocks.
Those who thought the ghost had followed you from Lor Ah Soo to Punggol 21, those who was smoked to believe that contractor buried marbles while constructing the buildings or to please the child ghost are all bull sh*tÂ…. So, tonight you can sleep tight and not to worry about the marble dropping sound. ItÂ’s perhaps someone flushing the toilet bowl.
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yes...in fact i just heard it again...sibei irritatingOriginally posted by tranquilice:How about those living on the highest floor? Do they too hear the sound above? 
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Actually, depending on the height of your buidling, the water tanks on the roof serve the higer floors, while the lower floors draw their supply of water directlyOriginally posted by Archirodon:Hi,
Our water tanks are all located at the top of buildings. The water pumps in the pump house (at the ground level) will pump water to the storage tanks at the top of the building. Pipelines are connected to distribute water to all the households of the block from top down. They flow through gravitational flow. The pipes are vertical except the branch lines. When someone turned on the tap at the lower level, the entire water in the pipeline above will flow downwards and because of the gravitation pull, there will be acceleration. Therefore, the longer the tap is turned on, the higher the acceleration.